Auburn University ARCH 3110
School of Architecture, Planning + Landscape Architecture syllabus
ARCH 3110: Architectural History II [Global History of the Built Environment]
Spring 2016
Instructor: Danielle Willkens,
GTA: Matthew
Course hours: T/Th, 11-12:15pm; Dudley Commons, B6
Office hours: T/Th 3:30 - 5:30 pm and by scheduled appointment, 301A Dudley
Course Description
This lecture course investigates global architectural developments from the Renaissance to modernity. We will discuss both the established canon of masterpieces and counterbalance this approach with discussions about new building materials, changing conditions of architectural production, shifting concerns about architecture’s social purpose and the issue of representation. In addition to the effects of politics, geography, and technological advancements, we will consider cultural and ecological debatesas well as artistic manifestations in painting, sculpture, and theater that paralleled architectural creation.
Course Objectives
- SPC A.1: Communication Skills
Ability to write and speak effectively and use representational media appropriate for both within the profession and with the general public.
- SPC A.3: Investigative Skills
Ability to gather, assess, record, apply, and comparatively evaluate relevant information and performance in order to support conclusions related to a specific project or assignment.
- SPC A.5: Ordering Systems [with accompanying projects in ARCH 3020 Studio II]
Ability to apply the fundamentals of both natural and formal ordering systems and the capacity of each to inform two- and three-dimensional design.
- SPC A.6: Use of Precedents [with accompanying projects in ARCH 3020 Studio II]
Ability to examine and comprehend the fundamental principles present in relevant precedents and to make informed choices about the incorporation of such principles into architecture and urban design projects.
- SPC A.7: Historical and Global Culture
Understanding of the parallel and divergent histories of architecture and the cultural norms of a variety of indigenous, vernacular, local, and regional settings in terms of their political, economic, social, ecological, and technological factors.
- SPC A.8: Cultural Diversity and Social Equity
Understanding of the diverse needs, values, behavioral norms, physical abilities, and social and spatial patterns that characterize different cultures and individuals and the responsibility of the architect to ensure equity of access to sites, buildings, and structures.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
- To develop familiarity with the general time line of significant precedents in the history of architecture.
- To understand the correlations between societies and their formal environments; the influence of geography, building technologies and cultural requirements on the development of the built environment.
- To facilitate the exchange of ideas about architectural design through the analysis of examples discussed with specific terminology.
- Ultimately, to deepen understanding of the meaning and significance of architecture in ways that will inform individual design processes.
Books
Required purchase:
- Kostof, Spiro and Richard Ingersoll. World Architecture: A CrossCultural History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Recommended:
- Fleming, John, Hugh Honour, and Nikolaus Pevsner. The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. London: Penguin Books, 1998.
- Harris, Cyril M. Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1983.
*There are additional resource books on reserve under the course number in the LADC.
Attendance/participation/professional conduct / 10%10 Mini Quizzes
These quizzes will gauge the progress of SLOs 1 and 2. / 30%
Reading Responses (4)
These critical responses will be 500 words each and will assess SLOs 2-4 / 20%
History in parallel
A collaborative project (self-selected teams of 3-4) that synthesizes course content and independent research into an original ‘book’ consisting of text, sourced images, and original graphics. This semester-long project will explore key concepts within the global history of the built environment from the 1400s to the 1900s and it is hinged on successful collaboration and continuous revision in order to produce a professionally composed and printed final product. This assignment assesses SLOs 1-4. / 40%
Note: Additional details on the above assignments will be distributed in the future.
*Late projects will be graded down one full letter grade for each class session overdue.
Grade evaluations will be based on consistent, high quality work over the entire semester. Students will be evaluated on their timely* and thorough the completion, depth of exploration, and consideration of assigned work, their professional competence in presenting work, and their continuous and meaningful participation in class discussions. Assigned grades are: A (90% and up), B (80% to 89%), C (70% to 79%), D (63% to 69%), or F (62% and below).
You will receive a mid-semester and end of semester grade evaluation. Grades will be established according to the following criteria:
AThis grade is achieved through the completion of all course requirements on time and in an exemplary manner while actively contributing to class discussions. Research will be completed with depth and breadth, questioning and elaborating upon issues explored in the course by engaging in the independent, scholarly investigations.
B This grade is achieved through the completion of all course requirements, on time, in an effective and thoughtful manner. The student questions and elaborates on the issues, generates studies beyond the assigned work and makes good, consistent progress in their work.
C This grade is achieved through the completion of all requirements, on time, in an average manner. The execution of research, contributions to class discussions, and progress only satisfy, and do not exceed, the standards set forth.
D This grade is achieved through the completion of all course requirements in a poor manner. The student’s attitude and work expresses little interest in the class material.
F This grade is achieved through the lack of assignment submission or in the submission of significantly incomplete or unacceptable work. The student has unexcused absences, is unprepared or does not participate in class, and/or shows no progress in the course.
Attendance
You must attend all class sessions. More than one un-excused absence is considered excessive, and this will result in a reduction of the final course grade by one-half letter grade. Students will be granted excused absences from class for the following reasons: illness of a member of the student’s immediate family, the death of a member of the student’s immediate family, trips for student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, trips for university classes, required trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events, subpoena for a court appearance, and religious holidays. Students who wish to have an excused absence from class for any other reason must contact the instructor in advance of the absence to request permission. The instructor will weigh the merits of the request and render a decision.
When feasible, the student must notify the instructor prior to the occurrence of any excused absences, but in no case shall notification occur more than one week after the absence. Appropriate documentation for all excused absences may be request by the instructor. Please see the Tiger Cub for more information on excused absences.
Make-up Policy
Arrangement to make up missed projects due to properly authorized excused absences must be initiated by the student within one week from the end of the period of the excused absences. Except in unusual circumstances, such as continued absence of the student or the advent of University holidays, a make-up project will take place within two weeks from the time that the student initiates arrangements for it.
Email communication
University policy stipulates that tigermail is the official student email communication system: it is expected by the instructor that you will check your email messages on at least a daily basis and respond to messages in a timely manner for the purposes of good communication.
Academic Honest Policy
All portions of the Auburn University student academic honesty code (Title XII) found in the Tiger Cub will apply to this class. All academic honesty violations or alleged violations of the SGA Code of Laws will be reported to the Office of the Provost, which will then refer the case to the Academic Honesty Committee.
Disability Accommodations
Students who need special accommodations in class, as provided for by the American Disabilities Act, should arrange a confidential meeting with the instructor during office hours the first week of classes – or as soon as possible if accommodations are needed immediately. You must bring a copy of your Accommodation Memo and an Instructor Verification Form to the meeting. If you do not have these forms but need accommodations, make an appointment with The Program for Students with Disabilities, 1228 Haley Center.
If you need any of the following accommodations: they are automatically granted as soon as you inform me about the need:
- no penalty for spelling errors on in-class work (exams, quizzes, written responses) if the word is recognizable;
- permission to reschedule exams if more than one occurs on a given day;
- student may use alternative textbooks formats, such as E-Text;
- student mayuse assistive technologies for note-taking. This technology includes basic tape recorders and more sophisticated means of capturing the lectures (i.e. LiveScribe, iPads, etc.). Student may need to sit close to instructor for optimal recording.
Course Schedule
*Readings are available on Canvas and should be completed before that day’s lecture.
Tuesday / ThursdayWeek 1
Thursday Jan. 14 / Introduction
- Course overview
Week 2
Tuesday Jan. 19
Thursday Jan. 21 / Renaissance Architecture
(Prof. Keyvanian)
*DW in London
READING: Evans, “Translations from Drawings to Buildings” / Renaissance Architecture
(Prof. Keyvanian)
*DW in London
Week 3
Tuesday Jan. 26
Thursday Jan. 28 / Michelangelo and Mannerism
- Sculpture and architecture
- Treatises, patrons, and paper architecture
- Roman discovery
Week 4
Tuesday Feb. 2
Thursday Feb. 4 / The Sixteenth Century in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean
- Kunstakammer and the exchange of information
- Cities, courts life and chateaux
- Ceremonies and cities
- Artistic developments
Week 5
Tuesday Feb. 9
Thursday Feb. 11 / The Age of the Baroque
- Roman rivals [Bernini, Borromini]
- France
- England
- Northern and Central Europe
- Rococo
Week 6
Tuesday Feb. 16
Thursday Feb. 18 / The Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution
- Sir Christopher Wren
- The Grand Tour
- Visionary architects [Boullée and Ledoux]
- Infrastructure and engineering marvels
- International expositions
- Cultural eclecticism and revivalism
- Arts & Crafts
- Pugin, Contrasts
Week 7
Tuesday Feb. 23
Thursday Feb. 25 / The Imperial World and Colonization
- Religious sites
- Secular sites: palaces and plantations
Week 8
Tuesday Mar. 1
Thursday Mar. 3 / Vernacular Traditions in North America
- Shaker, Adirondack and Craftsmen
- Navajo and Inuit
- Neo-Palladianism
- Jeffersonian design and legacies
- Birth of the Capitol City
Week 9
Tuesday Mar. 8
Thursday Mar. 10 / Moments in Landscape architecture
- 15th-17th centuries
- Walls and patterns
- Mughal Empire and Persian Paradise gardens
- 18-19th centuries
- Picturesque and sublime
- Public health and recreation
Tuesday / Thursday
Week 10 / Spring Break (March 14-18)
Week 11
Tuesday Mar.22
Thursday Mar.24 / European Modernism
- Art Nouveau [Horta, Gaudí, Guimmard]
- Vienna Secession
- Futurism
- Chicago School [Alder, Sullivan, Burnham, Root]
- Art Deco
Artistically Considered”
- Huxtable, “The Tall Building Artistically Reconsidered “
Week 12
Tuesday Mar.29
Thursday Mar.31 / Interwar Architecture
- Bauhaus [Gropius, Meyer, Mies]
- Productive architecture
- Light, air, and openness [Aalto, Le Corbusier, Perret]
- “Five Points for a New Architecture” and CIAM excerpts from Mallgrave’s Architectural History
Week 13
Tuesday Apr.5
Thursday Apr.7 / Interwar Architecture
- American inventiveness
* DW at SAH Pasadena
Week 14
Tuesday Apr.12
Thursday Apr.14 / Architecture at War (again)
- Empire: Terragni, Speer
- Revolution and deployed design
- Le Corbusier, Fuller, Kahn, Prové
Week 15
Tuesday Apr.19
Thursday Apr.21 / Post-colonialism
- Tradition, reconstruction, and conflict
- Beyond Eurocentrism
- Post-Modernism[Jencks critique, Stirling, Graves]
- Structural Expressionism + High Tech [Richard Rogers Partnership, I.M.Pei, Calatrava]
- “Robert Venturi” in Architectural Theory
Week 16
Tuesday Apr.26
Thursday Apr.28 / Issues in Contemporary Architecture
- Greenwashing and globalism
- Renewed preservation debates
Exam Period
[11am--12:15pm] Wednesday May 3, 10:30am-1pm, Dudley B6
[12:30-1:45pm] Friday May 6, 10:30am-1pm, Dudley B6 / History in Parallel group presentations
*Note: The schedule above is an approximation and will be refined if needed to adapt to the needs of the course.
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